Neonatal DNA methylation and childhood low prosocial behavior: An epigenome‐wide association meta‐analysis
Year: 2021
Type: review
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Low prosocial behavior in childhood has been consistently linked to later psychopathology, with evidence supporting the influence of both genetic and environmental factors on its development. Although neonatal DNA methylation (DNAm) has been found to prospectively associate with a range of psychological traits in childhood, its potential role in prosocial development has yet to be investigated. This study investigated prospective associations between cord blood DNAm at birth and low prosocial behavior within and across four longitudinal birth cohorts from the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) Consortium. We examined (a) developmental trajectories of "chronic-low" versus "typical" prosocial behavior across childhood in a case-control design (N = 2,095), and (b) continuous "low prosocial" scores at comparable cross-cohort time-points (N = 2,121). Meta-analyses were performed to examine differentially methylated positions and regions. At the cohort-specific level, three CpGs were found to associate with chronic low prosocial behavior; however, none of these associations was replicated in another cohort. Meta-analysis revealed no epigenome-wide significant CpGs or regions. Overall, we found no evidence for associations between DNAm patterns at birth and low prosocial behavior across childhood. Findings highlight the importance of employing multi-cohort approaches to replicate epigenetic associations and reduce the risk of false positive discoveries.
DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32862
Authors: Mannan Luo, Alan J. Meehan, Esther Walton, Stefan Röder, Gunda Herberth, Ana C. Zenclussen, Marta Cosín‐Tomás, Jordi Sunyer, Rosa H. Mulder, Andrea P. Cortes Hidalgo, Marian J. Bakermans‐Kranenburg, Janine F. Felix, Caroline Relton, Matthew Suderman, Irene Pappa, Rianne Kok, Henning Tiemeier, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, Edward D. Barker, Charlotte A. M. Cecil
Institutions: Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Rotterdam, King's College London, Yale University, University of Bristol, MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bath, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Harvard University, University College London, Leiden University Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,000
Funders: Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Fundació la Marató de TV3, National University of Ireland, Wellcome Trust, European Commission, University of Bristol, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, China Scholarship Council, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Comissió Interdepartamental de Recerca i Innovació Tecnològica, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, H2020 European Research Council, H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Awards: G1004914174, Entorno Urbano y Salud Cardiometabólica desde el Nacimiento hasta la Adolescencia (UrbaMet), G1075404386, G1192034430, G1255479019, HDHL: A precision nutri-epigenetic approach to tackle the mother-to-child transmission of impaired glucose metabolism, G1397335913, G1495020029, G1605161196, G1605628804, G2189472788, G2264987658, G2389812255, Ácidos grasos, polución atmosférica y desarrollo neuropsicológico (Omega-Brain), G2480128527, G2620658983, G2708544407, G2739427300, G2746566435, Exposiciones ambientales a edad temprana y riesgo cardiovascular del adolescente (INMA-Cardio), G2875100122, G2971876348, The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC): A multi-generation, longitudinal resource, G3251314294, G3396850645, G359490773, The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC): A multi- generation, longitudinal resource focusing on life course health and well- being., G3831911591, G3926709408, Accessible resource for integrated epigenomics studies (ARIES), G4434902968, G4442566642, The Avon Longitudinal Study for Parents and Children: An international resource for population genomic and lifecourse epidemiology. Core programme support 2014-2019., G4640396529, LEaDing Fellows, The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children: An international resource for population
genomics and lifecourse epidemiology. Core Programme Support 2011-2015 and Core programme support 2014-2019, G4849428099, G4937468798, G4983016146, G5185833053, G5287066851, G5365080160, G5460790668, G5562631338, Causative mechanisms & integrative models linking early-life-stress to psycho-cardio-metabolic multi-morbidity, G5707426241, G5717520196, Accessible resource for integrated epigenomics studies (ARIES), G5796121737, G582682078, G5893827543, G5909797957, G6030688955, G6033091583, Father Trials: Hormonal and Behavioral Experiments on Prenatal and Postnatal Parenting, G6202791625, The Human Early-Life Exposome – novel tools for integrating early-life environmental exposures and child health across Europe, Ventanas de vulnerabilidad pre-natal y post-natal en el riesgo de retraso en el neurodesarrollo asociado a la contaminación particulada del aire., G6675018523, Epigenetic Epidemiology, G6889597758, Maternal Prenatal Psychological Distress, Poor Nutrition and Atypical Child Development, Kings College London ESRC Doctoral Training Centre DTG 2011, G727641376, Mechanisms of the Development of ALLergy, Towards the elimination of iodine deficiency and preventable thyroid-related diseases in Europe, G7944295140, G7985272340, Generalised EMF Research using Novel Methods – an integrated approach: from research to risk assessment and support to risk management, Epigenetic Pathways to Conduct Problem Trajectories: Early Environmental Risks, G824700880, G8502142660, G8567666436, G8824911526, LEaDing Fellows, G891780243, G8945441398, G929055435, Epigenetics: Environment, Embodiment and Equality (E4)
OpenAlex ID: W3170674307